When The Rock beat Steve Austin for the Intercontinental Title at the end of 1997 it wasn't because he really won a feud. It was mostly due to Austin moving on from it. Rock needed a new rival with credibility, so when they set it up with Rock defending against Ken Shamrock it was the perfect feud for him. Rock was developing the personality of a cocky heel that made jokes that took the easy way out to win matches whenever he could. Shamrock was in the role of a fighter that didn't talk very much or make jokes. He just kicked people's ass. The fans loved him for the way he would snap when somebody would do something to piss him off. Their rivalry in 1998 produced some really solid matches in the midcard when the roster really wasn't that deep. There was a really memorable spot in the rivalry when Rock crushed Shamrock in the head with a steel chair. It was a big deal when Shamrock got his revenge. Rock ended up retaining the IC Title during the feud, but Shamrock more than held his own as the babyface that would never back down from a fight even when things were made difficult for him. It's a feud that made both guys better, which is always something you want to say about a feud no matter who it is.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
